When it comes to the smartphone world, it’s clear enough that Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android are the dominating forces. However, an increasing number of people are making the switch to Microsoft and adopting the Windows Phone platform. The Windows Phone Store is quickly growing with more apps by the day, and that’s why you’ll really want to have a look at these must-have social media apps for Windows Phone 8. Most, if not all of these apps should also be compatible with Windows Phone 7 devices.

We’ve already had a look at some of the social media apps for iPad and for Android devices, but that doesn’t mean that Windows Phone people can’t get social too. In fact, most of the major social networks are well represented on the platform.

Facebook

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. The official Facebook for Windows Phone app offers all the functionality you’d expect from the social mobile app, including the ability to post status updates and upload photos, as well as review upcoming events, check into places, and accept friend requests. In line with the Windows Phone experience, there’s also a Facebook Live Tile for real-time updates too.

Rowi Lite

Yes, there’s an official Twitter app for Windows Phone, but as is the case with iOS and Android, sometimes third-party social media apps can be more desirable. There’s no Hootsuite for Windows Phone, but there’s Rowi. There’s a built-in image editor powered by Aviary, multiple account support, username auto-completion, and tweet translation powered by Bing.

Pinspiration

Pinterest is quickly becoming one of the more popular social networks on the web and Pinspiration is one of the best ways to access it via your Windows Phone 8 device. There are Live Tile updates, as well as the ability to easily sign in and pin your own content to your own Pinterest pinboards. The free version has ads and throttled refreshes, but you can remove both of these restrictions by upgrading to the paid version.

WhatsApp

The most popular cross-platform messaging app is also available on Windows Phone. If you’ve ever had a BlackBerry, iPhone, or Android, there’s a good chance that you’ve already used WhatsApp to chat with friends, share pictures, and engage in group conversations. The Windows Phone version is much the same, sending your messages over 3G or WiFi. The first year is free and then it’s $0.99 per year after that.

Blueprints

Yes, this is the only paid app on this list, but if you want to stay social on Tumblr with your Windows Phone device, Blueprints is the way to do it. You can view your dashboard, manage posts, reblog content, share multimedia, play audio, watch videos, manage drafts, and even post to multiple blogs that you have associated to the same account.

WNM Near Me

Whereas WhatsApp lets you stay in touch with people you know, WNM Near Me is an entirely different take on social media apps. Instead of a friends list, this messaging app connects you with other users who are near you. This way, you can spark up new conversations and potentially make some new friends with similar interests.

4th & Mayor

Checking in with Foursquare on your Windows Phone device is best served with the 4th & Mayor client. In addition to the usual check-in functionality, this app also lets you explore new locations, read location tips, and keep in the loop via Live Tile updates.